


Letters to Forseti

by MarkoftheAsphodel



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: Fluff and Crack, Gen, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 17:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7542307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarkoftheAsphodel/pseuds/MarkoftheAsphodel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lewyn didn't realize being the avatar of the wind god came with some extra responsibilities. Fortunately a little bird is there to clue him in. Holiday crackfic written some years back, updated with the FE13 localization & Project Naga names.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letters to Forseti

Being the walking avatar of a god didn’t come with any instructions.  Lewyn cursed this fact whenever he encountered a situation he wasn’t prepared for, as on the snowy morning when a little orange bird showed up at his window, a letter to Forseti in its beak.  The letter, in a round childish hand, came from a boy named Arion who thanked Forseti for getting him a little sister but wondered if he could have a pet wyvern this year. 

“What, does he think I grant wishes?  I sure as hell didn’t get him a little sister.”

The bird cocked its head at Lewyn, and-- though the thing were speaking-- he heard some kind of... affirmation... in his head.

“I grant wishes?”

The bird seemed to reply that yes, Lewyn now did.  Or Forseti did.  He wasn’t entirely sure where the boundary on that one lay.

“You’re kidding.”

And the bird shook herself-- he somehow knew it was a _her_ \-- as though to say no, she was most certainly not kidding.  She then hopped off the window ledge toward Lewyn, and without thinking he held out his hand, finger extended as a perch.  As her little claws touched his finger, Lewyn realized that the bird had a name... and could speak.

“Haven’t you heard of Forseti, giver of gifts to children of holy blood?”

“No, and I kind of think I would have remembered something like that.”

“So you never heard that the god Forseti and his helper, the little bird of morning, bring gifts to good children as they sleep through the longest night of the year?”

“No.  Never.  Ever.  _Wait_.”  And the vaguest of memories, something from back when his father was alive, floated up from the recesses of memory then.  “That wasn’t Forseti.  That was my old man and his pet canary.  The presents stopped after he died.”

The Bird of Morning preened her tail feathers.

“Are you saying my old man was... oh, forget it.”  Lewyn looked down at the letter from the little boy named Arion.  “So how do I get this kid a pet wyvern?”

“Send me forth into the world on the darkest night, and it shall be done.”

“Easy enough,” said Lewyn, and after sending the Bird of Morning forth, he forgot all about it.

-x-

The next year, she came back with more letters.

“No, really.  What _is_ this?”

“Forseti is here on earth to bring joy and hope to the children of the crusaders,” said the Bird.  “Every crusader’s child, whether in a palace or an orphanage, learns the tale.  They need you to keep their spirits up in these times.”

“What do you mean, _every_ kid?  Is Erin filling up Ced’s head with this stuff?”  As the Bird gave him _the look_ , Lewyn muttered, “I guess I need to be home more often.”

He sighed then and opened the first letter-- from Arion, again.  He wanted a magical lance like his father had.

“Kid wants his own holy weapon now.  How does _that_ work?”

“Well, you can’t grant _every_ wish,” said The Bird.  “There are rules.  You’ll have to give him something suitable.  Maybe a chess set?”

“Okay, a chess set for Arion.  Done.”  Lewyn frowned at his small feathered helper.  “How do I know these rules?”

“You’ll know,” chirped the Bird, and it was on to the next letter.

_Dear Forseti--_

_Please bring me a black horse.  Also I want a new suit of of black armor and a black shield to go with it.  I have been good this year._

_ARES_

“Okay. I can’t do a full suit of armor for a little kid-- that’s stupid, because he’ll grow out of it in months.  I can get him the horse, though.  And maybe the shield.”

“He hasn’t been all _that_ good,” said the Bird.

“One black horse for Ares,” Lewyn amended.  “Done.”

_Kind sir,_

_I regret to say my behavior has not been exemplary this year as I have aggravated my brother and my lord father on several occasions.  However, I have done my best to make amends--_

“Johan of Dozel,” Lewyn said as he skipped over the labored prose to the childish signature at the bottom of the letter.  “That’s not Lex’s kid... wait, he had a brother, didn’t he?  Dannon, or something. Yeah, screw that guy.”

The Bird sounded a note of alarm.

“What, I have to send presents to all the kids with holy blood?  Even the ones whose parents are in league with darkness?”

“If not for Forseti’s love, how would bad little children ever be good?”

“Uh... well, maybe you have a point there.  I’ll send Johan his book of epic poetry.”

Kids were weird, Lewyn decided.  His own kids were no exception.

-x-

Year after year, the Bird brought Lewyn letters-- from Isaach, from Thracia, from his own Silesse.

_Dear Forseti,_

_How are you?  Does your bird ever get tired?  My dragon gets tired if she flies too long.  I love my big brother!_

_ALTENA_

“She didn’t ask for anything,” said Lewyn as he stared down at the letter with little green dragons doodled all over it.

“She sounds like a nice girl,” said the Bird.

“I guess so.  Get her a doll, or something.”

_DEAR FORSETI_

_I WANT ANOTHER WIND TOME I USED UP THE LAST ONE._

_ARTHUR_

“Okay, that’s more like it.  Another Wind tome for Arthur.  Done.”

_Dear Forseti,_

_I am writing you for my friend Ulster.  He is very sad because his twin sister got a lot of nice swords from their mother but Ulster doesn’t have anything.  His dad had a really nice axe but after the big battle where people died no one saw it ever again.  Ulster doesn’t like axes anyway but if you sent him a sword I think he’d be happy._

_Love,_

_Dermott_

_PS: My dad didn’t leave me anything either and I would like a sword too if it’s not too much trouble._

“Crafty kid,” said Lewyn as he examined the postscript.  “We got any swords for these boys?”

The Bird sang out that yes, she could deliver two swords for Tirnanog.  

“Get the little diplomat something nice.  Done.”

_Dear Forseti--_

_I have been a good girl and want some shoes for dancing!_

_XOXOX_

_LENE_

“Dancing shoes?  Easy.  Done.”

_Dear Forseti,_

_Thank you for the new boots you gave me last year even though thats not what I asked for.  This year I was wondering if I could have major holy blood.  My big sister had the major holy blood but shes dead now and I need to get stronger.  Also my boots from last year are too tight now._

_Love,_

_Leif_

_PS: My little sister Nanna doesnt believe in you anymore because last year she asked you for a new mother and we didnt get that either.  Our mother went on a trip and never came back.  Can we please have a new mother?_

_PPS: Also Nanna wants a pony but she wont write you herself because shes mad at you._

“What the... okay, this major holy blood thing is not happening.  A new mom and a pony... uh, not this year.”  The Bird sang in agreement that little Nanna would have to wait for a new mom and pony.  “What I don’t get is, I don’t remember seeing any letters from this kid before, and I don’t remember sending him boots.”

“I brought you his letter last year,” the Bird chided him.  “You forgot to open it." 

“I forgot, huh?  Ow.”  Lewyn looked over Leif’s list of requests again.  “I guess I’d better try harder or these kids won’t believe in me.  I get the feeling that’d be a pretty bad thing.”   

And the Bird of Morning sang the way she did when she agreed with him about something.

“I’ll send ‘em a big basket of candy _and_ a new pair of boots.  Done.”

-x-

Sometimes, the letters warmed Lewyn’s heart... in a small way.

_DEAR FORSETY_

_i don’t want any toys because they are dum but we saw the king and quene had a big dinner with a goose and lots of food and if you get us a dinner with a goose we’ll be okay_

_PATTY says she wants a neklass like the quene has but i don’t want eny_

_FAVAL_

“A big roasted goose and a dinner for Faval and Patty and all their little friends.  Done.”

_Dear Forseti,_

_I don’t want anything this year except could you please make my Aunt Hilda disappear?  I tried to be a good girl for my mum but she died and I don’t think I can be good anymore._

_Please help._

_TINNI_

“What on earth am I supposed to do about this?  I can’t make this girl’s aunt disappear, can I?  No, don’t answer, I already know.”  Fobbing little Tinni off with just a doll or a bucket of candy just wasn’t going to work.  “Can I forget I read this one?”

The Bird puffed herself up into an indignant ball of feathers.

“Yeah, yeah.”

He sent Tinni a book of prayers-- a nice one, with gilt edges and pictures.  He figured she needed it.  And he sent some candy too, just to be safe.

-x-

She brought him a thicker stack of letters every year.

“Okay.  This Johan kid can forget about getting ‘a kiss from the beauteous Larcei’ as his present.  And this Patty girl is obsessed with gold, so we can put some chocolate coins in her shoes instead.  Got it?  Done.  Hm... this is a new one.” 

_Great Lord Forseti,_

_Please bless everyone here at the orphanage.  The sisters here work so hard for us.  If we all got families to take us then maybe the sisters wouldn’t have to work so hard._

_All my love,_

_Cairpre_

 “You know, Bird... get this kid a family, would you?  We can do that, right?  Okay, done.”

Lewyn was feeling pretty good about himself until he opened the next letter.

_Dear Forseti,_

_I ask nothing for myself, but please spare some pity for Mother and for my sister Fee.  Father’s been gone for months and Fee asks for him every day.  Please, I beg you, lead my father home._

_Love,_

_Ced_

“Bird?”

His companion made a sad little chirp.

“I’m sick of this.  How am I supposed to bring joy and hope into the hearts of little crusaders everywhere when I get a letter like this from my own kid?”

“You can’t turn away,” said the Bird. “Read this next one.”

_Dear Forseti,_

_We are all well in Tirnanog.  I am thankful for Mother Aideen and Oifey and Shanan and thankful for all of my friends here.  I think I’m too old now to ask you for gifts, but I wanted to write you anyway to ask that you shower your blessings and love upon everyone here, so that we all make it through another year._

_Love,_

_Seliph_

“Bird?”

“Your heart just melts, doesn’t it?” she chirped.

“Yeah, yeah.”  And he swatted the Bird of Morning away from his shoulder.  “My heart melts for this kid.  Tell me, though-- how much candy is it going to take to shower _love_ down on Tirnanog?”

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the bird is Yune. I played a bit loose with the timeline here, as Lewyn should really have Julia along as his helper-elf by the end, but eh.
> 
> And yes, Finn got Leif the pair of unwanted boots once he realized Forseti stiffed the poor kid.


End file.
